This invention relates to a yogurt cheese maker and, more particularly, to a device used for separating the whey from yogurt.
Recently, there has been growing interest of consumers in low-fat foods. In surveys conducted by the Food Marketing Institute, it was found that forty-six percent (46%) of consumers spontaneously listed fat content as their primary nutritional concern in 1990, as compared to only nine percent (9%) in 1983. During the same time, sales of yogurt have substantially increased. A derivative of yogurt is yogurt cheese also called yogurt cream cheese.
By removing the whey, which is the liquid portion of yogurt, from the curd, a cheese-like food is formed which has a consistency comparable to that of cream cheese. This product is nutritious yet low in fat, cholesterol, calories and sodium and is gaining far wider use today in North America and Europe in numerous recipes as a substitute for cream cheese, sour cream and mayonnaise.
Furthermore, yogurt cheese can be used by people who are allergic to lactose (milk sugar) because most of the lactose found in yogurt is removed in the cheese-making process. For the same reason, yogurt cheese has even less calories than the yogurt from which it is made. Yogurt cheese is made by draining off the whey while retaining the coagulated particles (curds) which is a relatively simple process that takes up to twenty four (24) hours depending on the firmness of the cheese desired. In the past, several types of processes and apparatus have been used to remove the whey. Generally, these include the use of either cheese cloth or similar straining material to form a filter element upon which the yogurt is placed. The whey slowly drains into a colander or strainer leaving the desired cheese which is then removed from the cloth filter. Another method is to use a coffee filter, white paper towel or a fine sieve as the straining medium. The straining medium is placed in a colander, large strainer or sieve to give the strainer structural support. The whey is collected in a bowl of some sort which is below the colander.
One of the drawbacks with cheese cloth is that the yogurt adheres to the cloth fibers making it difficult to remove the residue. Also, the cloth must be thoroughly washed or discarded after use, as cheese cloth cannot be scraped clean. It is difficult to assemble all of these items in a complete, simple and easy-to-use device which can be easily stored in a refrigerator. Furthermore, if these elements are not properly chosen, they take up an inordinate amount of space in the refrigerator and will very likely be unstable and may spill.
An example of one device is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,680,117. This patent discloses a yogurt separator which uses a flat blank of filter mesh made of synthetic resin. The blank is formed into a cone. The cone receives the yogurt which is held in the cone until the whey drips through the filter mesh and out of the bottom. A major problem with this device is that the curds collect toward the bottom of the cone, where the area of filter mesh exposed to the curd is reduced, making it more difficult for the whey to drain. This increases the time needed for the whey to drain and decreases the overall efficiency of the device.
Applicant's invention overcomes the disadvantages apparent in the prior art devices. Applicant's device provides a yogurt cheese device which separates the whey from yogurt using a unique and improved strainer. Generally, the strainer is configured having a pair of opposing side walls which are covered with a straining medium such as stainless steel mesh. The bottom of the strainer has a pair of two parallel straining troughs, each straining trough having one side connected to one of the side walls and the other side connected to the other straining trough. The straining troughs are also formed from a mesh made of the steel filaments. The filaments are preferably oriented at an angle of 45.degree. with respect to the vertical to improve the straining of the whey from the yogurt. There is an outer sealable container which receives the strainer. A cover is adapted to be received by the top of the outer sealable container when the strainer is nested within the container. The strainer is held within the outer sealable container such that the bottom of the strainer is above the bottom of the container at a height sufficient to allow the whey to drain without coming into contact with the bottom of the strainer. When the cover is placed over the sealable container top, it minimizes the likelihood of contamination of the yogurt and keeps the odors from the yogurt or foods in the refrigerator from transferring between themselves. Furthermore, a substantially square design of the yogurt cheese device provides for a minimum amount of storage space in the refrigerator as compared to other devices.